Means for maintaining the lateral equilibrium of aeroplanes.



T. R. DA PAZ L A. M. C. DE F. E MAYA. MEANS FOB. MAINTAINING THE LATERAL EQUILIBRIUM 0F AEROPLANES.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

'snEBTsHHBBT 1.

T. R. DA PAZ L A. *M. C. DE F. E MAYA. MEANS PoR MAINTAINING THE LATERAL BQUILIBRIUM oF AEROPLANES. .Y APPLIOATLQN FILED NOV. 22, 1911. 4 1 ,047,759. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 gwvmtoz 772 @may 78de Paz..

WMe/ono I f el Z# @J l ig, l @59Min/14 de?" Mayo.

T. R. DA PAZ `& A. M. (ADE RE MAYA.

MEANS POR MAINTAINING THB LATERAL EQUILIBRIUM 0F ABROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1911.

1 ,047,759. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

T, R. DA PAZ & A. M. C. DE F. E MAYA.

MEANS POR MAINTAINING THB LATERAL EQUILIBRIUM 0F ABROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV'. 22, 1911. I Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

III

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T. R. DA PAZ '& A. M. C. DE P. E MAYA. MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE LATERAL BQUILIBRIUM 0F ABROPLANBS.

.APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1911.

150473759. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED sinrdnsin'grnnr OFFICE. V

THOMAS RODRIGUES DA PAZ ANI)` AFFON'SO MACHADO` CANAVARRO DE FABIA E MAYA,

` OF -SAN MIGUEL, AZORES. i

MEANS FOB MANTAI'NING THE LATERAL EQUILIBRIUM 0F AEROPLANES.

To all whom ft may concern.'

Be it known that we, THoMAsR. DA PAZ and ArroNso M. C. DE F. n MAYA, citizens o Portugal, residing at San. Miguel, Azores, have invented new and useful Means for Maintaining the Lateral Equilibrium of::

vswitch mechanism. l

Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification'.

I provide a balancing mechanism including an electric motor and circuit controlling de- ,vices coperating therewith for gradually adjusting the wing tips or balancing devices to predetermined degrees according to the degree oftilting motion of the machine and for gradually returning the balancing devices to normal positions-as the machine tilts back to the horizontal, whereby an easyv A and sensitive balancing action issecured.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had `to the accomypanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is' a diagrammatic'plan-view of the balancing apparatus and 'coperating elements of anaerop-lane, showing the parts in normal position, as when the aeroplane 4isbalanced. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the parts as adjusted to correct a minimum tilt` in..` one direction. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the parts adjusted to. correct a tilt to a"`greater degree in the opposite di' rection. Fig, '4 is a1 vertical longitudinal section Vthrouglrthe sets of circuit closers controlling thetininimum degree tilt, and illustrating the operation when the machine tilts to such degree in one direction. Fig.

, 5 is a similar section through the sets of circuit closers controlling the maximum degree tilt, and illustrating theoperation when the machine tilts-to such degree in the op.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.17,1912.

Application illed November' 22, 1911. Serial No. 661,835.

posite' direction. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the switch mechanism, the pivoted switches appearing indotted lines.

; Fig. Z is a section on line 7--7' o f Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail transverse section through the middle switches of the l,

Referring to the drawingsfl designates a shaft driven by' or from the propelling motor of the machine, and which may directly lor indirectly operate the driving propeller I 2. Coupled to the shaft lby a belt or other .driving connection 3 is a generator 4 constantly drivento supply current to`a' supply E circuit A formed by conductors 5 and 5.

Arranged, in practice, parallel withjthe longitudinal center or axis of the machine is an electric motor 6 arrangedl in a circuit B formed of conductors 7 8, 9 and 10,'arranged lin parallel with the conductors 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 of an automatic feed and reversing switch mechanism. yCarried by the armature shaft 15 of the motor is a drum or pulley 16, upon which are oppo-v4 sitely wound the inner ends of cables ,17 and 18 leading .to ailerons, wing tips or other lateral stabilizing devices (not. shown).

VThese stability devices may be of any known type coupled for movement. in opposite directions in unison, for simultaneous lifting and depressing actions at the opposite sides of the machine. v

The conductors 7 and 8 are connected with lone of the poles of the motor and the con ductors 9 and 10 with the other pole Vof the cuit in itself through which current may be motor, and the motor is thus-arranged in. parallel between thesides or sections of the circuit B formed by the respective pairs of conductors, each-section constituting a ciri 35 Provided for coaction withthe switches the transverse aXis of the machine, as' shown in -Fig.'1, which illustrate the position of the parts when the machine is horizontal or laterally balanced.

Connected-with the sets of conductors and 12 and 13 and 14 are duplicate pairs of segmental contacts 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30,

ladapted for respective coperation with pairs of pivoted switches 26', 27 28, A29 and 30', each having a notched inner end 31 anda Pair of spring-actuated' contacts 32. These switches are mounted to swing horizontally in a fore and aft direct-ion, and the reversed to return the stabilizers to -normal switches 26 are normally arranged in longitudinal `alinement and parallel with the transverse axis of Athe machine and `have their notched ends in engagement with the projections 21 and 22 of the nut, while the sets. of switches in front and rear thereofl normally -incline at an oblique angle to the plane of travel of the nut with their notched ends in position to be engaged by the prou jections of the nut, the front switches 29 and 30 converging inwardly and rear-v wardly, while the rear switches 27 and 28 converge inwardly and I forwardly. rIhe switches 26.coperate -with the switches 27 and' 28 to control thle balancing devices when the machine tilts in one direction, and

i with the switches 29 and 30 to control the balancing devices when the machine tilt'sin the opposite direction. I

26, -27 Vand28 lare pairs of circuit control- 1ers 33 and 34 and 35 and 36,' and. provided i 316, and 36.', whichv are correspondingly, arrangedin rear thereof. Each controller com' rises-.a trough 37 forming a guide chan- I nel ora cont-act ball orsphere 38 contained therein; said trough-being V-shaped in cross section and having insulation 39 at its ends.

The troughs incline inwardly and downwardly, so that the balls will be normally retained by gravity in aneutral positionat' their inner ends. At each side of the trough is a longitudinal conductor strip or contact- -40 and at the oppositeside of the trough are spaced conductorstrips or-contacts 41 and..

"'42, arranged at the Opposite ends ofthe trough. .The balls of the controllersy atf each r *sidefof the machine normally connect" the contacts 40 'and 41, vand the balls of the controllers atleither 4side of the machine are adapted, when such sidel tilts downwardly,

tofroll outward and downward by gravity?,

for `properly governing the stabilizers when For instance, the troughs of the transversely alined front controllers may incline at an the machine tilts to different degrees.

angle of 6, and the troughs of the transversely alined rear controllers at an angle of 10, .so that through the action of the motor hereinafter described the stabilizers may be adjusted to the proper degree only to correct the\ tilting motion and the motor then position. Of course, the number of sets of lcontrollers employed may be increased or decreased at will, that is, a single set may be 2 employed for adjusting the stabilizers when the machine tilts in either direction to an objectionable degree, or more thantwo sets may be provided at any suitable point to cut the vautomatic controlling mechanism out A of action without stopping the generator or suitable means may be provided for throwing the generator into and out of action, so

thatv whenever desired the stabilizers may be manually vided for that purpose.

operated by suitable means pro- The contacts 32 of one of the switches 2 6A are connected with the cont-acts 41 of the 44, While the contacts of the other switch 26 varey connected with the contacts 41 of lthe controllers33 and- 34 by conductors45and 46. The contacts of one of the switches 27 are connected by conductors 48 and 49 with the .contact-s 42 vof controllers 33 'and 34,-- while the contacts of the other switch 27 arev connected by conductors 50 and l'withthe of controllers may be employed for a grad- 'nat-ing or stepped operation when themacontacts 41 of controllers 35 Aand-36. The

contacts of one of the'switches 28 are conthe contacts 41 vof controllers 35 fand 36, f

' and conductors 59 and l58 .connect vthecontacts of. the vother switch 29 withV the con- 't-acts 42 of controllers 33 and 34. A Conductors 60 and 6l connect the contacts of vone of the switchesv30 with vthe contacts 42 ofl controllers 35 and 36, and Aconductors 621 -u and 63 connect -the contacts -ofthe otherand 9, the motor shaft will continue to re- 4*tra -6, to couple the parts l apparent that while certain of-the switches i as illustrated in Fig. of the circuits for the operations hereinafter described, the

are in closed position,

, central switches 26' are in neutral position `their channels and connect l of the controllers 33 and 34'or 33 and -the series of circuit closers in cut out position, so that no current can pass to the motor, whereby the stabilizers are held in a horizontal or normally inoperative for straight ight. .When, however, the vehicle tilts downward at either side lto an angle greater than 6 and less than 10, the balls and 34', as the case may be, will roll outward in the contacts and 42 of the acting controllers. Assuming that there is a down tilt at the left hand side, current will iow from the generator to the motor throughA the conductor 5, feed wire 6, contacts 40,38 and 42 .of controller 33, conductor 49, to and through one of the contacts 32 of one of the switches 27 and one of the contacts 27 toconductor 14, to and through the motor via conductor 9, and thence back to the conductor 5' of the generator circuit via conductor 10, conuctor 13, the other' contacts the aforesaid switch 27 conductor` 48 and .contacts 42, V'38 and 40 of at. thel elevated side.

land30', their notche vage .in iWl; .enga ethey' reach controller 34 and return conductorl 65. The armature shaft will thus be .turned inone direction to adjustthe stabilizers `for alifting action at the depressed side and a depressing action In such operation the screw is revolved tothe right and the nut travels rearwardly, car ing with` it the switches 26'. When' vsaid switches have swung rearwardl to an angllecorresponding to the norma an le oft e switches 29 ends, are freed from `enfgagementwith the pins ,of the nut and the le hand switch $26' nects the associated contacts 26, to primarily s'et the circuit.l the current, but as, in left-hand contactv 26 continues the line .of feed connection between theconductors 64 .the direction vst atedand the nut and move'the contacts 27'. until 4other switch of the sameset 1n open set are moved on switch will be opened and the closed, while the return movement will restore the original condi-v tions mentioned. The switches 26', diier in operation from fare normally o 'closed in the -f ment of said-switches from their normal 'position and the other switch closed in the 27 and 3 2- of- 'and mode of operation of switches is adjusting an motor and nilowpf the current then engages and conto reverse the direction of, such position, said,

i the transverse dotted line position shown Ain Fig.'v 2, at whichtime the left hand switch 27 will reach a'neutral position and the return of the machine to a balanced position will lcause the and connect contacts 40 and 41. The flow of the current will then be reversed and the motion of the motor shaft in the direction rst mentioned arrested, and, as the machine is restored to its normal balance, the motor shaft is revolved in the opposite direction by the reversal of the current to kreturn the stabilizers to normal pcsition.- In this op,

`eration current will flow from conductor 5 through conductor 64, contacts 40, 38 and 41 of the controller 3 3 and conductor 43 'to one of the contacts 32 of the adjacent switch 26', thence through conductor 10-1 and reversely through the motor 6, and thence back through conductors 9 and 14 to the other contact 32 of said switch 26', to and through the underlying contact 26, conductor 44, contacts 41, 38 and 40 and conductor to conductor `5' of the generator circuit.

The motor will thus turn back the same number of revolutions it previously turnedl forward, restoring the arts to normal position and cutting o t ecurrent when the ball 38 to rollback switches 26 are returned'to their normal position.

It lwill be observed that the sets of contacts 26, 27, 28, 29 VAand 30 areso arranged that in the normal position of each set of switches 27', 28', 29' and v30' of each set is in closed position and the osition, and that when the switches of either opened switch of the vswitches the others in that they en, and that one switch is orward direction of moverearward movement of said switches from their normal position the switches 26' havthe sets of the stabilizer employed to secureA .ous actions, *A

as a. reverse feed switch,.each"alternating :with another .in suchl 4parentthrough the tracing of thezcircuits 1nv actions, as will be apeach, of

pressed at t their outstroke the closed reverse.' movements of the one switch v,in each` case 011-y If,vhgweverj," the ma 'should be v dei-l cleft hand side toanan le oi i 10"-, it will be understoodthat the ba 1s 38` one switch i 'ing both forward and backward and return motion. This construction, arrangement of both setsof controllers 33 ,mdA Maand 35 p Y.

fandv36 willzrollroutwardly `and:.cox'inect the' iseteralwntacts 40 and 42 with f:the .ieed1con..

until the contacts 26, 27 and 28 have been s successively shifted and the switch 28` connects the associated contacts 28 and the balls 38 in returning to normal position coper'ate with said switch and theswitch- 26', whereupon the motor will be revolved 1n the -oplo posite direction and restore the stabilizersA and switches to normal position, upon the completion of which the current will be cut oil and normal conditions restored. When the machine tilts downward to an angle of 6 or more, but less than 10, the controllers 33 and 34 come into play and the nut feeds forward and lcoacts with the switches 26 and 29 and the conductors 7, 8, ll and-12 to adjust the stabilizers for a o lifting action at the leftv hand side, and to reverse the current and return the parts to normal position. When themachine `tilts downward to an angle of or more at the right hand side all ofthe controllers-33', 2 5 34', 35 and 86 will come into play andfthe nut will feed forward and coact with all of.

. the switches 26', 29 and 30.v and the conductors 7, 8, l1 and 12 to perform the described functions. In Figs. 1t-and 5 we have 30 respectively shownthe parts in operation to control a '6 tilt at the right hand side" and a 10 at theleft hand side, the operating and return feed courses of the currents belng indicated byffull-liue and broken-line arrows, respectively. 4

By the terms right hand side and left hand side we, of course, mean the side portions "of-the machine relative 'to the position of the seated aviator. l 401 ,In the drawings we have shown the generatorat the Vfront and inotor at the rear in the assumed line of 'travel of the machine, from'which the operation of the stabilizing mechanism maybe readily understood from 4,5 the drawings and foregoing description.

Having-t us described our invention, what we claim asv new isj:

1. In a stabilizingmechanism for aero planes, an electric circuit, a motor, stabilizgofing elementsv actuatedA by the motor, gravity controlled circuitclosers, and switch vmechanism coperating therewith to set the motor into 'operation for a determined number of7 revolutions in one direction when the circuit .55 is cliosedupon the tilting of theaeroplane, and to reverse the current for a correspond ing nuniber Vof revolutions of the motor in the 'revcrse-l direction when the aeroplane returns Ato'fabalanced position. ou 2. In af-fstabiliz'ing 'mechanism for aeroplanes, 'anv electric supply circuit, a motor, a circuit .inllding sets yof'co'ncluctors arranged in parallel and'connectedv with the poles of the motor, '-'a'f switch"v mecl-ianism embodying" sets of conductors-.arranged parallel and A the switches.

respectively connected with sets of conductors of the motor circuit and provided with contacts and switches cooperating with-said contacts -to control the supply of current through either set of switch conductors and 7e its return through the other, gravity controlled circuitvclosers governing the flow ofl current between the supply circuit and conductors of the switch mechanism, stabiliz-' ing elements actuated by the motor, and means actuated by the motor for operating 3. 'In a stabilizing mechanism A for aeroplanes, an electric circuit, a motor, current supplying and reversing connections between said circuit and the motor, .switches forming parts of said supplying and revers-I ing connections,- stabilizing elements actuated by the motor, gravity controlled cir-, 4 cuit controllers coperating with said switches, a screw shaft driven by the motor,

and a nut actuated by said shaft to control and operate lsaid switches.

4. In a stabilizing mechanism for aeroplanes, an electric supply circuit, a motor, 90. a circuit including sets of conductors ar'- ranged in .parallel and connected with ythe poles of the motor, a switch mechanism embodying sets of conductors arranged in parallel and respectively connected with sets of conductors of the motor circuit .and provided with contacts and switches coperating with said contacts to control the supply of current through `either set of switch conducto-rs and its return through the other, gravity controlled circuit 'closers governing.

the flow of current between the supply circuit and conductors-of the switch mecha-v nism, stabilizing elements actuated by the motor, a screw shaft -driven by the motor, and a nut actuated 'by said shaft to control and operate said switches.

5. In a stabilizing mechanism for aeroplanes, balancing devices including a-motor,

a supply circuit, connections between said circuit and the motor including switches for supplying current through said connections to drive the motor in either direction, a screw shaft operated by the motor, a device operated by said shaft and controlling said switches, and gravity controlled circuit closers coperating with the switches to control the connections to operate the motor in either direction fora balancing action and for reversing its-direction of motion to re- "turn the yllialfancing elements to normal position after actuation.

6. In a stabilizing mechanism for aeroplanes, lbalamclng devices including a motor, a supply circuit, a motor driven generatorin ,said circuit-,connections between saidv circuit and the motor including switches for supplying current through saidconnections tok drive the motor 4in either-direction, a screw shaft operated by the 4motor, 'a device 130 fin either direction for a balancing action operated by said shaft and controlling said In testimony whereof We aix our signaswitches, and gravity controlled circuit tures in presence' of two witnesses; clcsers coperatlng with the switches to moms ROBBIGUES m PAZ,

control the connections to operate the motor l FFONSO MACHADO GANAVARBO im: FARM' r. MAYA. and for reversingts direction of motion to Witnesses: t return the balancing -l elements to normal Ams'rtconsy AMBAR RAroN, position after actuation. r M. L. Cnmzvrnr. 

